Monday, July 22, 2013

We Mustn't Quit, We Must Continue!

Pile driver - not a wrestling move...

After writing
yesterday, I questioned the material which I had just flung into the public
forum. Though I did not doubt the
essence of my message, I was concerned that it was too straightforward, too
blunt. In an era of flashy packaging and
clever marketing ploys, it might not have the nuance needed to be well
received. Fortunately, I’m not the only
person in the history of writing to have wrestled with this problem, and an
oft’ repeated line by Winston Churchill quickly steeled my resolve to press
forward. “If you have an important point to make, don't try to be subtle or
clever. Use a pile driver. Hit the point once. Then come back and hit it again.”

So, I'll continue to drive the point home, and my articles to come will surely
provoke a variety of reactions among those who read them. But, they will remain - to the best of my ability
– clear, un-equivocating, and frank. Though
no one, no matter how much they profess so, can remove their own biases from
what thoughts they produce, I will endeavor to keep my discussions free of
partisan politics. My focus is, and
will remain on, how best to revitalize the American people.

So, how do we do that?

There's no simple solution, but for a start, we mustn’t quit. Seems pretty obvious when there in black and
white, but it’s much more difficult to apply in real life.
Unintentionally, many of us can allow the world to pass us by in a blur
of daily routines, television reruns, and lazy evenings on the couch.

Several of you just stopped reading, thinking,
“There’s nothing wrong with my evening routine!
After a hard day’s work, all I want is to relax with my family and watch
our favorite show, <insert whatever HBO’s showing here>.” For those still with me, it’s not the
relaxing that’s an issue, and not even the HBO miniseries (John Adams,
anyone?). The issue is, we settle into a comfortable pattern and cocoon
ourselves in layers of routine. Slowly,
the effort we expend decreases as we become familiar with our routine
(perhaps accompanied by a commensurate increase in waistline). Eventually, there will come a point where even small breaks from the norm become difficult. Unintentionally or otherwise, over time it’s easy to quit.

We must not quit - we must continue.

Both for those already pursuing
strenuous lives, and for those mired in a routine of ease, Churchill again
offers wisdom, “Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage
to continue that counts.”

We must continue for ourselves.

We must improve ourselves through mental and physical exercise. America did not mandate schooling for its
children in order for them to quit learning after 9-12 years of education, it did so
to provide each member of our Republic the building blocks upon which he or she
can continue to improve their intellect. Good, bad, or indifferent, the education each American receives provides the beginning of what can be a lifetime of learning. Opportunities for physical betterment abound in our country, whether by
walking the stairs in Richmond or summiting mountains in the Rockies.
But, improving ourselves requires continued effort.

We must continue for our families.

We must make time for our families, despite drain from work, or frustration with life’s
daily trials. Since its founding, the American nation has been comprised of
families, bound by love, by experiences and by effort. Much concern and time is voiced at every level
of our government out of concern for “the American family”, acknowledging the
vital role it plays in raising the next generation of citizens. Advances in technology allow us to maintain
familial relationships far easier and further than in previous generations, but
the American family still requires the effort and attention of its members. It's not easy, but we must continue.

We must continue for our communities.

We must build and strengthen our
communities. The surge of growth and
mobility that has brought us to the 21st century ushered in an era of both
construction and devastation. The rapid growth of urban and suburban centers
took a severe toll on the communal bonds which once held us together. It’s not enough to simply sit back and bemoan
the loss of small-town American society. Opportunities for new community are
present as ever - the form may be different but the function the same, they
provide Americans the means to shape and improve the place in which they
live. As anyone reading this can likely
vouch for, working with others takes effort – especially when dealing with
something as personal and delicate as a community. But we must continue.

Despite all these efforts, the personal
and societal rewards of doing so far outstrip the work expended. In dedicating more effort to self, familial
and community improvement, we will find happiness in laboring towards a noble goal while producing tangible successes towards the betterment of our lives. And if we fail along the way, so be it. We can pick ourselves up, brush off the dust, and continue on. A strenuous path at least, but one well worthy of our exertions.